1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a dust hood for an endless belt type working machine, and more particularly to such a dust hood which is swingable away from the endless belt to permit over-sized workpieces to contact the belt and to permit access to the roller when changing belts.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Endless belt type working machines perform a wide variety of functions on a workpiece including sanding, grinding, buffing, polishing, form shaping, etc. Basically, contact between the driven, abrasive endless belt and the workpiece is adjusted to the desired degree and position by either changing the position of the workpiece by adjusting a supporting table relative to the belt or by adjusting the belt relative to the workpiece via a form platen. This contact removes a certain amount of material from the workpiece depending on such factors as the belt speed, belt abrasiveness, pressure applied to the workpiece against the belt, etc. The resulting removed material or dust poses a significant health risk to workers and a cleaning problem both to the general working environment and to sensitive machinery.
Currently, removal systems comprising a dust hood and vacuum collectors are used to draw the dust from the workpiece to the outside. While these removal systems effectively reduce dust, they often interfere with the operation of the endless belt machine due to the close, and often fixed, position of the dust hood relative to the belt and/or work piece. Specifically, working on pieces longer than the belt face or form platen, i.e., pieces which would extend past the point when the hood covers the belt, is difficult and often impossible since the dust hood is often positioned near one end of the loop near a roller. Also, this position complicates changing the belt as particular job requirements for belt width, abrasiveness, etc. change. U.S. Pat. No. 2,232,149 discloses a hood having a pivotally connected dust deflector which forms a scoop for dust and which is capable of being swung downwardly and to the level of the working table so as not to interfere with the work. However, belt changing is difficult since the deflector edge is still near the belt even in the downward position.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a dust hood for an endless type belt machine which allows work on various shaped workpieces.
It is another object of the present invention to permit access to the belt and roller while removing dust during operation of an endless belt type working machine.
It is a further object of the present invention to accomplish the foregoing objects simply and inexpensively.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention are apparent from the drawings and specification which follow.